Programs

Exchange students with Ambassador McFaul

Education & Exchanges

The
foundation of Russian-American relations – both our friendship and our
capacity to work together as two great nations – ultimately rests on
how well ordinary citizens on both sides understand each other. That is
why the U.S. Government believes that the most important contribution
we can make to a stronger Russian-American relationship is to invest in
expanding the knowledge and contacts among people in both countries. As
a result of U.S. government exchange programs, more than 50,000
Russians and Americans have had the opportunity to take part in
academic or professional exchanges during the past decade.

The effect
of an exchange experience on a person’s life extends far beyond the
time actually spent abroad. Similarly, an exchange program affects not
only individual participants, but also those who get to know them while
the United States and those back home in Russia who hear about their
experiences once they return. In this way, people-to-people exchanges
between Russians and Americans benefit both countries by improving our
ability to understand each other, by enabling us to compare and share
approaches to common problems, and by increasing the network of ties
binding our nations together in the peaceful pursuit of common goals.

This section of the website provides an overview of our current
exchange programs, as well as the numerous educational activities supported by the Public
Affairs Sections of the U.S. Embassy and Consulates in the Russian
Federation.